Experiential marketing gives consumers to get to know you. It’s all about the experience. When given the choice to dine in a pop-up restaurant for free, consumers flocked to the event. All Birds Eye asked in return was for diners to share photos of their meal on social media. Everyone won and the event was a smashing success that people still talk about. It all starts with photos at an event of some form.

Making Photos Work for Your Brand

If you stop to think about what captures your attention faster is it an image you see or words on a page? Most people remember the images they see far more than the advertising text they’ve read on a page. Photos are the best way to go, but you need to make them work for your brand. You have to think about the best way to incorporate photos into your message.

Are you getting free images to use in future advertising campaigns? If so, you may need to get permission from the attendees. Commercial use of photos others have taken can be considered copyright infringement. A quick consent form is all it takes to ensure photos are used legally. If you have consumers uploading photos and sharing, it eliminates potential legal issues.

Who is going to take the photos at your event? Photo marketing is something you can do on your own, your consumers can participate in, or you can hire photographers. You’ll likely use a mix of options. You might have a brand ambassador lined up with a high-quality phone or tablet for taking photos of consumers and find that consumers take their own photos, too. The more photos that are shared on social media, the farther your message reaches. Embrace it. Set up a hashtag consumers can use at your event that celebrates the day and your message.

Consider rewarding consumers who do share photos from your experiential marketing event. You could offer a discount coupon or promotional item like a t-shirt to those who share photos and tag your company. Encourage sharing and comments by offering a prize awarded to one of those people.

Remember that impromptu shots that are natural present an honest image to others. Think of the backlash some magazines and celebrities are getting when putting up edited photos that appear flawless. People want honesty. You don’t have to be perfect. You just need to be real.

Different Ideas for Photos at Events

You need to plan how to make photos work for your marketing needs. At a winter brewfest, the organizers rented a photo booth to take photos of attendees drinking beers from the different breweries. Those photos were shared on photo media, which boosted sales for the second day of the fest, and prints were given before the attendees left the photo booth area. It’s similar to the Mirror Mirror craze of touchscreen mirrors that snap photos at events. People have a photo to share, and you have a photo for your social media campaign of people having fun.

LEGO has an ongoing photo marketing idea where fans submit their designs. If that design gains 10,000 supporters, it becomes a LEGO set that’s offered in the store. Those who are selected also get 1% of the sales for that set, 10 sets for their use, and credit in the LEGO Ideas materials. It’s a photo marketing event that draws crowds, doesn’t require more than a few pages on a website, and doesn’t take much to maintain.

It’s estimated that more than a quarter of all internet users use ad-blocking software on their laptops and phones. Traditional advertising is not going to deliver the results you need. If you’re not using experiential marketing to reach consumers, you’re missing out. You may not know where to start when it comes to incorporating photos at your next event. We’re happy to help you get started with your marketing plans.

Factory 360 specializes in all aspects of experiential marketing. Trust in us to help you figure out the best ways to reach your target audience and create a stunning event that people will not forget. We’ll help you through every stage and ensure photos help create lasting memories. Give us a call.